Crane industry news Archives | Page 26 of 37

DEMAG AC-700 joins Wagenborg fleet

Dutch lifting services and heavy transport company Wagenborg Nedlift has strengthened its crane fleet with a nine-axle Demag AC-700 mobile crane featuring a 60m main boom.

The 700t crane has already completed its first project – a tandem lift of an 185t hydraulic piling hammer with one of Nedlift’s 500t cranes. The hammer was lifted from a quay into an inland ship at the port of Eemshaven.

Nedlift’s AC-700 specification includes 160t counterweight capacity, Sideways Super Lift and the possibility to add a 36m main boom extension and 50m fixed fly jib, as well as 96m luffing fly jib.

The crane, to be used in the petrochemical, oil and gas industries, was supplied with an extensive safety package, including features like platforms and railings to work fully secured on top of the main boom and jib.

Wolffkran provides answer on cramped construction site

A requirement for tight manoeuvring on a cramped construction site in Munich’s old town led German contractor Riedel Bau GmbH & Co to hire a Wolff 166B B luffing jib tower crane from Wolffkran.

The design of the 166B, with hydraulic luffing gear, means the jib can be raised in a near vertical position, which proved imperative on the Maximiliansplatz office development project surrounded by other construction sites and cranes.

Norbert Zährl, Riedel site manager, said: “Because of its design, the Wolff can slew in the minimum of space without projecting beyond the site, meaning we can work without any danger of collision.”

The 166B, able to lift 12t in the two-fall operation, was used to lift concrete and other structural components. Its tip load capacity is 3.4t with a 45m jib and the maximum lifting speed is 87m/min.

Wolffkran said the luffing crane could be erected on a lower tower height than with a saddle jib crane, saving additional time. Crane erection took just one day.

Rocketing property prices and the popularity of Munich’s old town meant the office project was fully leased even before construction began.

Malina Crane’s sporting challenge

Malina Crane of the Czech Republic has performed a tandem lift using a Terex Explorer 5800 and an AC 250-1 all-terrain crane at a new sports arena in in Frydek-Místek, Czech Republic.

Malina Crane said limited space and an oversized 28t load measuring 30m wide had to be overcome when lifting the prefabricated steel roof structure into place at the arena in Frydek-Místek.

The AC 250-1 operated with a main boom length of 41m and 21m working radius, while the Explorer’s main boom was telescoped to 42m at a working radius of 24m. These settings allowed the cranes to lift the load precisely to the required 18m height.

Malina Crane president Radek Malina said the project had also been useful to assess the fuel consumption of Terex’s single-engine concept compared to a two-engine design.

Mr Malina said: “Now we have seen it clearly: the single-engine concept is in fact significantly more fuel efficient.”

He said another benefit of the single-engine design was the ability to switch off the engine at any time during a job, without turning off the IC-1 crane control system.

The multi-use sports arena features an ice rink.

Zoomlion deliver’s ‘world’s biggest’ topless tower

Zoomlion had held a delivery ceremony for a new 160t topless tower crane, the T3000. The company claims (backed up by a Guinness World Records authenticator) that, with a load moment of 31,200kNm, this is the world’s largest topless crane. It will target power generation, as well as arenas, bridges, high rises and other major projects.

The delivery ceremony was held at Zoomlion’s plant in Change on July 26, and was attended by more than 200 guests. Yu Lekang, deputy general manager of Zoomlion’s crane division said that the new crane would change the way supercritical steam generators are erected at power plants, improving construction efficiency and cutting costs.

Huang Qun, general manager of Zoomlion’s crane division, explained that the company had started its development of topless tower cranes with the acquisition of technology from Jost. With cranes like the T3000, the Chinese company had built on this technology with its own research and innovation.

The first of the cranes will be sold to Jiangsu Jiang’an Group’s Electric Power Construction Company, in a deal announced this spring. Zoomlion says that under the Chinese government’s current five year plan, to 2015, total annual electricity consumption is expected to grow by 8.8%. Over the following five years, consumption is expected to grow by 5.6%.

To meet this demand, companies like Jiangsu Jiang’an Group will be building a series of 1,000,000kW thermal power plants.

Zoomlion says that these large thermal power plants require a main tower crane with a large lifting torque, large lifting capacity, wide boom coverage, narrow lifting hook unit, narrow crane body, small base, precise placement, high work efficiency, and reliable safety record, as well as one that is convenient to assemble and disassemble.

Austin buys Tadano

Austin Crane Service has taken delivery of its first ATF 90G-4, at Tadano America’s headquarters in Houston, Texas. Since its arrival in Leander, Texas, the ATF 90G-4 has been used to build and set tanks and was most recently utilised in downtown Austin working inside street barricades with narrow lane closures.

Austin Crane owner and president Larry Taylor said that Tadano’s good reputation was one reason the company decided to purchase the ATF 90G-4. On using the crane since taking delivery, Taylor said, “The manufacturer put a lot of thought into the design of this crane. Our operators love working with it.”
The ATF 90G-4 features a compact design that Austin Crane Service has found to be a big benefit. According to Taylor, the “hydraulic luffer and the turning radius are a huge plus when getting in and out of and working on confined job sites.” Taylor also appreciates the machine’s simple design and on-screen diagnostics that “speed up the process and lessen downtime.”

With a lift capacity of 110USt and boom length of up to 168ft, the ATF 90G-4 features a tiltable cockpit and two oil coolers to keep hydraulic temperatures low. The machine’s automatic moment limiter (AML-C) offers enhanced functionality and the ability to pre-set special job configurations.

USITC judge upholds Manitowoc complaint against Sany

A USITC has issued a final initial determination in Manitowoc’s complaint against Sany, saying that the American crane manufacturer has shown certain products infringe its patents, and that they have shown misappropriation of trade secrets.

The case relates to the two companies’ competing floating counterweight systems. Manitowoc claims that Sany’s system used on its SCC8500 infringes on a patent, US 7,546,928, relating to a mobile lift crane with variable position counterweight. The system was implemented by Manitowoc on its Model 31000, and later on its MLC300 and MLC650 cranes launched at ConExpo.

The full decision has not yet been made public, but a notice promises it will within 30 days. The current notice explains that the administrative law judge has issued a final initial determination on whether there was a violation, and a recommended determination on the remedy that may be appropriate in the event that the USITC finds that there was a violation.

The administrative law judge’s determination is subject to appeal by the federal appeals court. USITC determinations do not result in money damages. Instead, complainants can make a parallel claim in a district court, which Manitowoc is doing in Wisconsin. That case will resume on 23 July.